Data Independent Acquisition of Product Ion Spectra and Reference Spectra Library Matching

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting compounds in a sample using a tandem mass spectrometer. A sample comprising a plurality of detectable compounds that have been separated in time over a time interval is introduced into a tandem mass spectrometer. A sample product ion spectra is obtained. The presence of one or more known compounds of interest in the sample product ion spectra is determined. A compound is identified as present in the sample if the score associated with said compound meets a threshold value set as indicative of the likely presence of the compound in the sample.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/741,948, filed Jun. 17, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/329,645, filed Jul. 11, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No.9,099,288, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/819,769, filed as Application No. PCT/IB2011/002139 on Sep. 14, 2011,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,809,770, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/383,137, filed Sep. 15, 2010 andEuropean Patent Application No. 10009595.9, filed Sep. 15, 2010, thedisclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

INTRODUCTION

Mass Spectrometry has been used for many years to identify andquantitate compounds in complex mixtures. Typical compounds can include,but are not limited to, proteins, peptides, pharmaceutical compounds,and derivatives such as metabolites, drugs of abuse, pesticides, etc. Acommon mass spectrometry technique is tandem mass spectrometry. Intandem mass spectrometry a precursor ion is selected by a mass analyzer,fragmented in some way and the fragments analyzed in a second massanalyzer or in a second scan of the first analyzer. The fragmentsproduced can be used for identification or quantitation.

A common technique for quantitation is selected reaction monitoring(SRM). SRM has been used for a long while to quantitate small moleculesand more recently has been applied to peptides, proteins, and otherbiological compounds such as lipids and carbohydrates. SRM is typicallyperformed on a triple quadrupole instrument, where the first and secondmass analyzers have a mass isolation peak width of about 0.7, and one ormore combinations of precursor and fragment masses (known astransitions) are monitored during a liquid chromatography coupled tomass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis.

Despite its sensitivity and robustness, SRM has, at least, the followingissues that limit its application:

1. The compounds to be measured must be defined prior to dataacquisition and the transitions to be monitored must be determined,either from empirical fragment spectra of the compounds of interest orfrom libraries of such spectra.

2. The information obtained is incomplete since the number oftransitions, and thus compounds that can be measured during a singleanalysis is limited for a number of reasons. The chromatographic peakmust be well defined since quantitation is based on the height or areaof peaks in the chromatograms of the transitions, i.e. a plot of theresponse for the transition vs. time. Thus it is necessary to keep thetime spent measuring a set of transitions as low as possible. Thesensitivity (the smallest amount of material that can be detected)depends on the length of time (the dwell time) spent monitoring atransition so better sensitivity takes more time meaning that fewercompounds can be analyzed. Confidence that the correct compound has beenidentified usually requires that several transitions be measured and theresponses compared to those expected from the standard spectrum. This isparticularly true if the mass transmission windows are relatively wideso that in complex mixtures one or more precursors or fragments could beselected at the same time and interfere with measurement of the targetfragment ion(s). Precise and accurate quantitation requires inclusion ofan authentic standard material, typically an isotopically labeled formof the target compound, which generates different transitions that canbe distinguished from the target compound; these must also be monitoredthus reducing the overall number of compounds that can be analyzed.

3. Further, the data available is limited to that defined before theanalysis is performed. Therefore, it is often necessary to re-analyzethe sample to generate additional data, if different or additionaltransitions must be monitored to improve the accuracy of confidence ofthe quantitation, or if additional data is required to detect differentcompounds or modified forms of the target compounds.

4. Since only a limited number of compounds can be analyzed at one time,obtaining data for all the compounds present in a sample requires manyseparate analyses.

One alternative acquisition method alternates scans with high and lowfragmentation that are then processed to determine the precursors (lowenergy) and fragments (high energy) that belong together. Quantitationbased on ion traces extracted from this data (similar to SRM) is proneto interferences since in complex mixtures many ions can be fragmentedat the same time.

Other alternative acquisition methods select small mass windows that arestepped across a mass range of interest, but complete coverage of theentire mass range requires numerous analyses and takes a considerableamount of time.

Thus there is a tradeoff between the number of compounds that can beanalyzed in the same analysis, and hence the sample throughput ifcomplete coverage is required, the sensitivity, and the likelihood ofdetecting interferences that degrade the quantitation behavior.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings, described below,are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended tolimit the scope of the present teachings in any way.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system, upon whichembodiments of the present teachings may be implemented.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing how data is acquired for acomplete mass range using step-wise precursor ion selection windows of amass analyzer, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary plot showing the mass traces extracted from theion traces of FIG. 2 for fragments determined from a reference spectralibrary, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a system for storing an electronicrecord of all product ion spectra of all detectable compounds of asample, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart showing a method for storing anelectronic record of all product ion spectra of all detectable compoundsof a sample, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system that includes one or moredistinct software modules that performs a method for storing anelectronic record of all product ion spectra of all detectable compoundsof a sample, in accordance with various embodiments.

Before one or more embodiments of the present teachings are described indetail, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the presentteachings are not limited in their application to the details ofconstruction, the arrangements of components, and the arrangement ofsteps set forth in the following detailed description or illustrated inthe drawings. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should notbe regarded as limiting.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS Computer-Implemented System

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system 100, uponwhich embodiments of the present teachings may be implemented. Computersystem 100 includes a bus 102 or other communication mechanism forcommunicating information, and a processor 104 coupled with bus 102 forprocessing information. Computer system 100 also includes a memory 106,which can be a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storagedevice, coupled to bus 102 for storing instructions to be executed byprocessor 104. Memory 106 also may be used for storing temporaryvariables or other intermediate information during execution ofinstructions to be executed by processor 104. Computer system 100further includes a read only memory (ROM) 108 or other static storagedevice coupled to bus 102 for storing static information andinstructions for processor 104. A storage device 110, such as a magneticdisk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus 102 for storinginformation and instructions.

Computer system 100 may be coupled via bus 102 to a display 112, such asa cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD), for displayinginformation to a computer user. An input device 114, includingalphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus 102 for communicatinginformation and command selections to processor 104. Another type ofuser input device is cursor control 116, such as a mouse, a trackball orcursor direction keys for communicating direction information andcommand selections to processor 104 and for controlling cursor movementon display 112. This input device typically has two degrees of freedomin two axes, a first axis (i.e., x) and a second axis (i.e., y), thatallows the device to specify positions in a plane.

A computer system 100 can perform the present teachings. Consistent withcertain implementations of the present teachings, results are providedby computer system 100 in response to processor 104 executing one ormore sequences of one or more instructions contained in memory 106. Suchinstructions may be read into memory 106 from another computer-readablemedium, such as storage device 110. Execution of the sequences ofinstructions contained in memory 106 causes processor 104 to perform theprocess described herein. Alternatively hard-wired circuitry may be usedin place of or in combination with software instructions to implementthe present teachings. Thus implementations of the present teachings arenot limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry andsoftware.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediathat participates in providing instructions to processor 104 forexecution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limitedto, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks,such as storage device 110. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, suchas memory 106. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire,and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 102.

Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppydisk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magneticmedium, a CD-ROM, digital video disc (DVD), a Blu-ray Disc, any otheroptical medium, a thumb drive, a memory card, a RAM, PROM, and EPROM, aFLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other tangiblemedium from which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 104 forexecution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on themagnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load theinstructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over atelephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 100 canreceive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitterto convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detectorcoupled to bus 102 can receive the data carried in the infra-red signaland place the data on bus 102. Bus 102 carries the data to memory 106,from which processor 104 retrieves and executes the instructions. Theinstructions received by memory 106 may optionally be stored on storagedevice 110 either before or after execution by processor 104.

In accordance with various embodiments, instructions configured to beexecuted by a processor to perform a method are stored on acomputer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can be a devicethat stores digital information. For example, a computer-readable mediumincludes a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) as is known in the artfor storing software. The computer-readable medium is accessed by aprocessor suitable for executing instructions configured to be executed.

The following descriptions of various implementations of the presentteachings have been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the presentteachings to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variationsare possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired frompracticing of the present teachings. Additionally, the describedimplementation includes software but the present teachings may beimplemented as a combination of hardware and software or in hardwarealone. The present teachings may be implemented with bothobject-oriented and non-object-oriented programming systems.

Systems and Methods of Data Processing

As described above, in traditional mass spectrometry methods there is atradeoff between the number of compounds that can be analyzed in thesame analysis and the sensitivity and the likelihood of detectinginterferences that degrade the quantitation behavior.

Thus there is a need for a method that provides a complete record of alldetectable compounds present in a complex mixture that can be used toquantitate known compounds, determine and quantitate modified forms ofthe known compounds, or to determine the type and location of unknownmodification. Further, the record should be stored so that theseoperations can be performed at the time that data is acquired or at somelater time. Such a record enables the complete analysis of all compoundsthat can be detected with the separation device and mass spectrometersystem used.

This method allows dynamic quantitative target transitions and modifiedforms of the target compounds (such as metabolites or post-translationalmodifications) to be determined without re-acquiring data on the sample.

In various embodiments, systems and methods provide a method forgenerating a record of all detectable compounds and comprise a novelcombination of a data acquisition method that generates the fragmentspectra of all compounds and targeted data analysis methods.

Current selected reaction monitoring (SRM) methodology requires lengthypreparatory work to devise the method prior to the sample injection(including the reference spectra library generation); it allowsmonitoring transitions of a limited number of peptides per injection; itrequires extensive data analysis by reference library matching toconfirm the identity of the peptides monitored; and it requires new dataacquisition to improve quantification accuracy (by replacingcontaminated transitions by new ones) and/or to expand thequantification to new transitions and/or analytes not monitored in theoriginal data set.

In various embodiments, systems and methods address the currentlimitations of the SRM approach and enable the probing of entireproteomes iteratively and recursively from a single sample injection.Although these systems and methods address the current limitations ofthe SRM approach, they are not limited in any way to SRM or the type ofexperiments for which SRM is applied. These systems and methods comprisea combination of a novel LC-MS acquisition set-up together with abioinformatic pipeline for the data analysis. Details of variousembodiments are presented below:

Method Set-Up

Contrary to SRM, various embodiments do not require any preliminarymethod design prior to the sample injection. Since the LC-MS acquisitioncan cover the complete analyte content of a sample across the recordedmass and retention time ranges (see below), the data can be mined aposteriori for any compound of interest. The retention time and massranges may be set to generate information for ranges of particularinterest.

LC-MS Acquisition Method

In various embodiments an acquisition method covers all compoundsdetectable with the chromatography and mass range used; these can bebroad and generic to detect as many compounds as possible or can beadjusted to focus on compounds or types of compounds of particularinterest. A wide window of precursor ions, for example >10, >15, >20amu, is selected and fragmented to generate a fragment spectrum of allprecursor present in the window. The window is moved in a step wisemanner to cover the rest of the precursor space, for example, with awindow width of 25 amu the first window may cover 100-125, the second125-150, the third 150-175, and so on.

The windows can be overlapped to make sure that all the isotopic formsof a compound are present together in at least one window. It isbeneficial for the windows to have relatively square shapes so thatoverlap can be kept small and minimize the number of windows required.

Thus the time required to acquire data for the entire mass range dependson the number of and accumulation time of windows and not the number ofprecursors to be fragmented. The time is short enough to maintain thefidelity of peaks produced by the separation.

Generating product ion spectra for the entire mass range is repeated oneor more times depending on whether a separation system is used. A massspectrum of all unfragmented precursor ions can be included as part ofthe cycle. All of the acquired data is stored for later mining. Thewidth of the windows can be constant or can be varied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram 200 showing how data is acquired for acomplete mass range using step-wise precursor ion selection windows of amass analyzer, in accordance with various embodiments. Diagram 200depicts an LC-MS method in which a data independent acquisition of fullfragment ion spectra is obtained by panning isolation windows of a massanalyzer, step by step, across the entire mass range 220 repeatedlyduring an entire chromatography 230. Diagram 200 is an LC-MS map, forexample. Note that the dotted line before the beginning of each cycle indiagram 200 depicts the optional acquisition of a high-resolution,accurate mass survey (MS1) scan that can also be used to re-associatethe fragment ions to the precursor they originate from, if needed forthe analysis processes.

The data of diagram 200 can be interpreted by combining the product ionspectra acquired for each isolation window into separate MS2 maps. MS2map 240 is an exemplary combination of all the product ion spectra forisolation window 210. MS2 map 240 includes ion traces 250 plotted as afunction of mass over charge (m/z), retention time and signal intensity.Symbol 260 identifies ion traces 250 of fragments belonging tocorresponding analytes. Symbol 270 identifies ion traces 250 offragments determined from a reference spectra library.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary plot 300 showing the mass traces extracted fromthe ion traces of FIG. 2 for fragments determined from a referencespectra library, in accordance with various embodiments.

In various embodiments, an LC-MS acquisition method comprises themonitoring of product ions resulting from the fragmentation of ionprecursors as follows:

Complete Content Coverage for all the Analytes of a Sample:

1) Data independent acquisition upon stepping of the isolation window ofthe mass analyzer:

Instead of monitoring a few discrete precursors/transitions per run, MSinformation is acquired in a data independent manner, on the full massrange and through the entire chromatography, irrespective of the contentof the sample. In various embodiments, this can be achieved by steppingthe precursor ion selection window of the mass analyzer step by stepthrough the complete mass range (see FIG. 2), instead of focusing onpre-determined or targeted precursors. The cycle time (or dwell time) ofthese measurements is thus determined by the number of steps necessaryto cover the complete mass range (FIG. 2) rather than by the number oftransitions to be monitored as in SRM. Such step-wise, data-independentfragmentation measurements allow the acquisition of the completeinformation on the analytes/precursors contained in a sample in onesingle run. In effect, this data acquisition method can generate acomplete fragment ion map for all the analytes present in the sample andrelate the fragment ion spectra back to the precursor ion selectionwindow in which the fragment ion spectra were acquired.

2) Widening of the selection window of the first mass analyzer:

2a) It is almost impossible, even at the narrowest selection windowachievable by the mass analyzer, to ensure that only the precursor ofinterest, free of contaminants, is selected for fragmentation.Therefore, in various embodiments, an opposite approach is used:widening the precursor isolation windows of the mass analyzer and thusincluding multiple precursors co-eluting and contributing to thefragmentation pattern recorded during the analysis. The interpretationof complex product ion spectra resulting from multiple precursors'fragmentation is described below in the data analysis section.

2b) Collateral positive effects of widening the selection window of themass analyzer as practiced in various embodiments, are (i) theshortening of the cycle time mentioned in point (1) and thus theacquisition of better defined and resolved chromatographic elutionprofiles for the precursors monitored; and (ii) an increased signalintensity for the fragments since the entire isotopic pattern of theprecursor now participates in the fragmentation, and not only themono-isotopic peak as in SRM.

Gain in Confidence for the Peptide Identifications:

3) Acquisition of full product ion spectra, instead of monitoring a fewproduct ions for a given precursor as in classical SRM experiments. Aseries of full product ion (MS2) spectra is acquired across the elutionof a precursor allowing better confidence in the precursoridentification to be achieved by matching the complete fragmentationpattern of a full MS2 spectra to a reference spectrum from a library,rather than a few ion fragments.

In summary, in various embodiments an LC-MS method results in theacquisition of a series of MS2 maps that can cover the complete massrange and chromatographic profile and that can be processed aspseudo-SRM traces acquired on wide isolation windows (FIGS. 2-3) insteadof few transitions per precursor.

Consecutive MS2 maps may be acquired with some precursor isolationwindow overlap to ensure transfer of the complete isotopic pattern ofany given precursor ion in at least one isolation window and thereby tomaintain optimal correlation between parent and fragment isotopes peaksat any LC time point. This overlap may be reduced to a minimum value,which can be experimentally determined to best match the fragment iontransmission profile achievable on the ion selection devices used in themass spectrometer. Reducing the overlap between consecutive isolationwindows allows to maintain a minimal size for the windows, a minimalnumber of windows to cover a given m/z range and a minimal dwell timebetween the cyclic isolation window acquisitions.

Various embodiments include the following MS acquisition methods invarious combinations; and alone and together with various combinationsof the data analyses principles described further below:

1) The cyclic acquisition of full fragmentation (MS2) spectra ofprecursor ions upon stepping the precursor isolation window of the massanalyzer in a content-independent manner (see FIG. 2). The acquisitiondoes not include, e.g., focusing the precursor isolation windows ontothe masses of pre-determined (e.g., data dependent acquisition/shotgun)or targeted (e.g., inclusion lists or SRM) precursor ions.

2) The deliberate search of these MS2 spectra for multiple parentprecursors concomitantly selected within the parent ion precursorisolation windows and concomitantly participating in the observedfragmentation pattern, by various embodiments of the inventionsdescribed in the data analysis section.

In other words, in various embodiments a search is not conducted for theprecursor ions. A search is conducted for the fragments in the windowthat is expected to contain the precursor ion.

3) The use of overlapping windows for the precursor selection.

Overlapping windows can be used in various embodiments to insure (i)that all the precursor ions are properly selected, even in the case ofnon-ideal mass analyzers and (ii) that the precursor ions at the borderof the mass analyzer/selection windows get their whole or substantiallywhole isotopic pattern selected for fragmentation within a sameisolation window.

4) The use of fixed and/or variable widths for the precursor isolationwindows during the same acquisition run. In various embodiments, fixedand/or variable widths are used for the precursor isolation windowsduring the same cycle (i.e., set of scans across the mass range. The useof larger windows allows for the shortening of the cycle time of theacquisition in the less crowded parts of the mass/chromatographic space(i.e., where the least number of analytes are expected). The use of anarrower window can allow for an increased dynamic range of analysis inthe most complex parts of the mass/chromatographic space. Indeed,narrower windows contain fewer precursor ions to fragment and thereforehave lower chance to include precursors with large differences inabundances.

5) The use of single and/or multiple (variable or discrete) collisionenergies per precursor selection windows during the same acquisitionrun. The increasing or decreasing fragment ion intensities acquiredduring such multiple collision energy experiments can be checked forco-elution and correlated to reference fragment ion intensities fromspectra libraries and can strengthen the identification of fragment ionpeak groups that originate from the same parent ion (see the dataanalysis section).

6) The use of fixed and/or variable time per precursor isolation windowsfor the acquisition of the MS2 spectra during the same acquisition run.Since the signals can be reported as counts over acquisition time (e.g.,cts/msec), the variable acquisition time can still be used forquantification purposes (as in “dynamic” or “scheduled” SRM). Longeracquisition times can allow the monitoring of low abundant precursorswith more sensitivity.

Various Embodiments Concerning the Bioinformatics/Data Analysis Pipeline

The data analysis comprises the use of fragment ion elution informationand data mining of reference spectra libraries. Reference spectralibraries of proteotypic peptides (MS-observable peptides uniquely foundin one protein and therefore qualitatively and quantitativelyunambiguously characterizing that protein) may be generated for entireorganisms using pools of synthetic peptides (Picotti et al, Nat Methods2010) and/or from prior extensive MS sequencing proteomic analysesperformed on those organisms. Similarly, the reference spectra librariesof other analytes may be generated from synthetic analyte referencesand/or from prior analytes MS analyses. Importantly, once the referencefragment ion libraries have been generated they can be used perpetually.

Since the LC-MS data comprises full product ion spectra acquired fromwide precursor selection windows, the data processing is modified toaccount for multiple precursors potentially participating in thefragmentation patterns observed in the recorded MS2 spectra and for thepresence of all fragment ions.

Searching for Precursors a Posteriori

Contrary to the SRM approach, where the precursors of interest have tobe selected prior to the sample injection, a “complete content coverage”acquisition approach enables one to search and quantify, a posteriori inthe LC-MS/MS dataset, and in various embodiments any analyte present inthe spectra library. The data analysis comprises the extraction of thefragment mass traces (determined from the reference spectra libraryand/or from in silico predictions) of the precursor of interest from aseries of full product ion spectra acquired in the expected selectionwindow (m/z) of that precursor (see FIGS. 2-3).

The confidence in the precursor identification can be scored, forexample, based on the mass accuracy and/or the relative intensities ofthe acquired product ion fragments compared to that of the reference (orpredicted) fragmentation spectrum, on the number of matched fragments,on the similar chromatographic characteristics (co-elution, peak shape,etc.) of the extracted ion traces of these fragments. Probabilities forthe identifications can be determined, for example, by searching (andscoring) similarly for decoy precursor fragment ions from the same LC-MSdataset. The relative quantification can be performed by integration ofthe product ions traces across the chromatographic elution of theprecursor. In various embodiments, use is made of differentlyisotopically labeled reference analytes (similarly identified,quantified and scored) to achieve absolute quantification of thecorresponding precursors of interest.

Gain in Confidence for the Peptide Identifications:

A series of full product ion (MS2) spectra can be extracted around theelution of the best scoring fragment ion peak group candidates toachieve better confidence in the precursor identification by matchingthe complete fragmentation pattern of a full MS2 spectrum to a referencespectrum from a library, rather than a few ion fragments.

The data mining strategy described above uses an unbiased extraction,from the LC-MS/MS dataset, of reference fragment ion traces (fromspectra libraries). The full product ion maps are, therefore, mined forthe identification of multiple precursors, since those are extractedwith fragment ion traces of independent matches from the library.Therefore this does not restrict the search number of precursorsco-eluting within the selection window of the mass analyzer and canallow for the identification of multiple precursors within the sameproduct ion spectra.

Alternative Data Processing by MS2 Feature Extraction

Another data processing embodiment comprises a de novo featureextraction of all or substantially all of the fragment ion signals fromthe reconstituted MS2 maps (FIG. 2). The co-eluting fragment ion signalscan then be grouped and searched by reference spectra library matching(or eventually against a database of pre-computed theoretical fragmentions of analytes) to determine their precursor(s) of origin. In variousembodiments, the method proceeds by iteration of precursoridentification and subtraction of the product ion signals of thatprecursor across its elution to increase the sensitivity of the analysisand uncover ion fragments of precursors of lower abundances.

Various embodiments include the following data analysis principles invarious combinations; and alone and together with various combinationsof the MS acquisitions principles described further above:

1) The extraction of the fragment mass traces (determined from thereference spectra library or from in silico predictions) of theprecursor of interest from the series of full product ion spectraacquired in the expected selection window (or windows, for modified ormultiple charge states peptides) of that precursor (see FIGS. 2-3)

2) The identification of the analytes by scoring the extracted fragmention traces based on parameters such as, for example: (i) co-elution ofthe extracted fragment ion traces, (ii) correlation of their peakshapes, (iii) correlation of their relative intensities with those froma reference spectra library (or from in silico predictions), (iv)proximity to the expected reference chromatographic retention time, (v)co-elution and peak shape correlation of the fragment ion traces ofmultiple charge states of the same precursor, (vi) co-elution, peakshape and relative intensity correlation with the fragment ion traces ofone or more differently isotopically labeled reference(s) (e.g., heavyor light reference analyte for a light or an heavy endogenous samplerespectively), (vii) co-elution and peak shape correlation of thefragment ion traces obtained from the windows acquired at variouscollision energies, (viii) correlation of the relative intensities ofthe fragments ions obtained from the windows acquired at variouscollision energies with those a reference spectra library (or from insilico predictions), and (ix) combinations of two or more of the above.

3) The discrimination of true from false positives identifications byfalse discovery rate evaluation upon searching (and scoring) similarlythe same LC-MS/MS dataset for decoy precursor fragment ions. The decoyhits can substantially be used to optimize the combination of one ormore of the scores mentioned above using machine learning techniques(e.g., semi-supervised learning) and to estimate a false discovery rateby assuming that they resemble the null distribution of identifications.

4) The use of the co-eluting fragment ion intensities to quantify theidentified analytes contained in the sample.

5) The “refinement” and the re-searching (e.g., in multiple iterations)of the acquired data by substantially removing, across theirchromatographic elution, the contaminated fragment ion traces or thoseof already identified analytes.

6) The extraction of pre-computed theoretical fragment mass traces ofany precursor of interest from the series of full product ion spectraacquired in the expected selection window (or windows, for modified ormultiple charge states peptides) of that precursor (e.g., for theacquisition and refinement of spectra libraries of natural or syntheticcompounds)

7) The de novo “feature extraction” of the fragment ion signals from thereconstituted MS2 maps (FIG. 2); the grouping and scoring of thosefragment ion signals as, e.g., described above (point 2); the searchingof those by reference spectra library matching (or eventually against adatabase of pre-computed theoretical fragment ions of analytes) todetermine their precursor(s) of origin; the quantification of theidentified analytes based on their co-eluting fragment ion intensities.

In summary, various embodiments can allow for (i) the exhaustiveacquisition of the product ion spectra of all analytes present in asample, in a single LC-MS injection or analysis, (ii) the completeidentification and quantitative analysis of those by a specific datamining strategy, and (iii) the refinement and/or complementation ofthose analyses by iterative data mining. This combined LC-MS acquisitionand data processing methodology constitutes therefore a significantimprovement over the traditional approach in terms of data consistency,identification rates and quantification speed. These inventions enablethe acquisition of complete proteome maps and the methods for thequalitative and quantitative data mining of those.

The potential applications of these inventions are essentially the sameas those of SRM quantitative proteomics and include any biotechnical,biomedical, pharmaceutical and biological applications that rely onqualitative and quantitative LC-MS analysis. The approaches are, forexample, in various embodiments particularly suited to perform theanalysis of a high number of candidate precursors (e.g., peptides) ofinterest in complex samples that may be available only in limitedamounts (e.g., complete organisms, cells, organs, bodily fluids, etc.).

Various embodiments include the following applications, among others:

-   -   Rapid acquisition and refinement of spectra libraries of natural        or synthetic compounds (e.g., peptides).    -   Qualitative and quantitative analysis of natural or synthetic        compounds of interest (e.g., in the context of specific analytes        or biomarkers measurements, or to analyze the composition of        protein complexes).    -   Qualitative and quantitative analysis of naturally or        artificially modified analytes that share fragment ions with        their non-modified counter-parts (e.g., proteins/peptides with        post-translational modifications, reacted with activity-based        probes, or chemically cross-linked proteins/peptides), or whose        modification share fragment ions (e.g., ubiquitin or        ubiquitin-like molecules) or common reporter ions or by using        the (positive or negative) mass difference that this        modification brings to the fragment ions of those analytes.    -   Qualitative and quantitative analysis of all detectable analytes        present in spectra libraries or de novo identified (see data        analysis section) (e.g., in the context of partial or complete        proteome analyses).    -   The capacity to refine and/or complement of those qualitative        and quantitative analyses by iterative data mining of the        acquired datasets.

These various embodiments can pave the way for the complete qualitativeand quantitative analysis of entire metabolome/proteome of complexsamples and in a high throughput manner.

Quantitative Data Processing

In various embodiments, all of the fragment data acquired from a singleprecursor mass window can be processed together. Even though the datamay contain fragments from one or more precursor ions (compounds), itcan be processed to quantitate the compound of interest or search formodified forms of such compounds.

The precursor mass of the compound of interest and a set of expectedfragments at high resolution and mass accuracy are obtained from alibrary, or by analyzing an authentic standard form of the compound, orobtained from a previous analysis (whether the compounds are known ornot), or by prediction using known fragmentation rules. The set offragments can be selected based on their expected intensity, thelikelihood that that they are unique to the compound of interest, orother features. For the window(s) containing the expected precursormass, the set of fragment masses are used to generate ion traces, forexample chromatograms, that include one or more peaks

The traces are scored to determine the correct or most likely peak. Thescore can be based on information from the mass spectrum such as: howwell the detected mass of the sample fragment ions match the expectedmasses of the predetermined product ions; how well the relativeintensities of the sample fragment ions match the relative intensitiesof the predetermined product ions; that the measured sample ions are inthe correct isotopic form, usually that they are monoisotopic; that theprecursor and fragment ions have the expected charge state.

If a separation step is included, the score can be based on additionalinformation such as: how well the detected ion traces match each otherin shape and position. If different isotopic forms of the sample areanalyzed, such as a combination of labeled and native forms, data fromthe different forms can be used to further refine the score. If one ormore fragments in the set receive poor scores because there is aninterference, they can be excluded from the set and, if desired,replaced with another fragment from the predetermined spectrum.

Ions that receive acceptable scores can be used to generate quantitativevalues for the target compound that can be compared to similar valuesfrom other samples, such as members of a time course study, groups ofsamples that have been treated or prepared differently, groups ofsamples from healthy or diseased subjects, etc. As all fragment ionsfrom all detected precursor exist in the data, in various embodimentsoptimal quantitation can be performed by using alternative fragment ionswhich reduce error in measurement.

Since the acquired data includes fragments from all detectablecompounds, it can be mined for any number of compounds and the scoringcan generate quantitative values.

Qualitative Data Processing

In various embodiments, the data can be further mined to extractqualitative information about the compounds present in the sample.Modified forms can be detected by locating the same set of fragment ionsat unexpected retention times in the same precursor window or indifferent windows, for example. The window can be determined based onthe expected mass difference caused by the modification. In variousembodiments, modified forms can be detected by locating ions that arecharacteristic of the modification.

Once a modified form is detected the type and location of themodification can be determined in a number of ways. For example, thetype and location of the modification can be determined by predictingions that depend on the position or type of the modification andgenerating and scoring traces extracted from the data for thosepredicted masses. In various embodiments, the type and location of themodification can be determined by generating a spectrum from the dataand interpreting that spectrum.

Further, the data from each window can be processed to determine oridentify related ions and thereby extract the spectrum of known orunknown compounds that can be interpreted to determine the identity ofthe compound.

Tandem Mass Spectrometry System

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a system 400 for storing anelectronic record of all product ion spectra of all detectable compoundsof a sample, in accordance with various embodiments. System 400 includestandem mass spectrometer 410 and processor 420. Processor 420 can be,but is not limited to, a computer, microprocessor, or any device capableof sending and receiving control signals and data from mass spectrometer410 and processing data.

Tandem mass spectrometer 410 can include one or more physical massanalyzers that perform two or more mass analyses. A mass analyzer of atandem mass spectrometer can include, but is not limited to, atime-of-flight (TOF), quadrupole, an ion trap, a linear ion trap, anorbitrap, or a Fourier transform mass analyzer. Tandem mass spectrometer410 can also include a separation device (not shown). The separationdevice can perform a separation technique that includes, but is notlimited to, liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, capillaryelectrophoresis, or ion mobility. Tandem mass spectrometer 410 caninclude separating mass spectrometry stages or steps in space or time,respectively.

Tandem mass spectrometer 410 performs a plurality of product ion scansone or more times across a mass range using a plurality of massselection windows. The plurality of product ion scans are performed in asingle sample analysis. A single sample analysis is, for example, asingle sample injection. From the plurality of product ion scans, tandemmass spectrometer 410 produces all sample product ion spectra of alldetectable compounds for each mass selection window.

Processor 420 is in communication with tandem mass spectrometer 410.Processor 420 receives all the sample product ion spectra for each massselection window from tandem mass spectrometer 410. Processor 420 thenstores all sample product ion spectra for each mass selection window asan electronic record of all detectable compounds of the sample. Theelectronic record is used to characterize compounds known at the timethe electronic record is stored or to characterize compounds that becameknown after the electronic record was stored.

In various embodiments, each mass selection window of the plurality ofmass selection windows has a width greater than 10 atomic mass units(amu), or a width greater than 15 amu.

In various embodiments, at least two mass selection windows of theplurality of mass selection windows have different widths.

In various embodiments, all sample product ion spectra for one or moremass selection windows from the electronic record are searched forpredetermined product ion spectra from a reference library. For example,processor 420 receives predetermined product ion spectra correspondingto known compounds. Processor 420 receives all sample product ionspectra for one or more mass selection windows from the electronicrecord. Processor 420 then compares predetermined product ions of thepredetermined product ion spectra to sample product ions of said allsample product ion spectra for one or more mass selection windows. Oneor more matching sample product ions from the comparison characterizethe known compounds detectable in the sample. The known compoundsinclude, for example, any compound that gives reproducible product ionspectra.

In various embodiments, the known compounds include one or more ofpeptides, proteins, complete proteomes, endogenous metabolites, lipids,or carbohydrates.

In various embodiments, the known compounds include one or morecompounds of biological, pharmaceutical, environmental, forensic, orindustrial importance. The one or more compounds of biological,pharmaceutical, environmental, forensic, or industrial importance caninclude, but are not limited to, one or more of pesticides, herbicides,fungicides, industrial chemicals, drugs of abuse, dopants or explosives.

In various embodiments, the predetermined product ion spectra arecomputationally generated by applying empirical or a priorifragmentation or modification rules to the known compounds.

In various embodiments, the predetermined product ion spectra areobtained from the analysis of authentic standard compounds, eitherisolated from a naturally occurring source or chemically synthesized.

In various embodiments, the predetermined product ion spectra areobtained from public or proprietary spectral libraries.

In various embodiments, the predetermined product ion spectra areobtained from a prior analysis of a representative sample with orwithout identification of compounds corresponding to the predeterminedproduct ion spectra.

In various embodiments, the search for predetermined product ion spectrafrom a reference library includes calculating a score. For example,processor 420 compares predetermined product ions of the predeterminedproduct ion spectra to sample product ions of all sample product ionspectra for one or more mass selection windows by calculating a scorethat represents how well the predetermined product ions and the sampleproduct ions match. The score can, for example, can include comparingion masses and relative intensities. In various embodiments, the scoreincludes determining that the sample precursor ion has the expectedisotopic form. In various embodiments, the score can include informationon the expected charge state of the precursor and fragment ions.

In various embodiments, a separation device separates sample compoundsof the single sample analysis over time. Tandem mass spectrometer 410performs a plurality of product ion scans on the single sample analysisas the sample compounds are being separated. In various embodiments,processor 420 further calculates a score for the match based oncomparing peak shapes of ion traces or detection time similarity ofmatching sample product ions.

In various embodiments, processor 420 further uses one or more matchingsample product ions from the comparison of the search to calculate aquantitative value for compounds of the sample. The quantitative valueis, for example, calculated using an intensity of the one or morematching sample product ions in the sample product ion spectra. Invarious embodiments, the quantitative value is calculated using anintensity or areas of one or more matching ion trace peaks.

In various embodiments, processor 420 further uses one or more matchingsample product ions from the comparison of the search to identify amodified form of one or more compounds of the known compounds. Amodified form is identified by finding the one or more matching sampleproduct ions in the same mass selection window or in different massselection windows, for example. A different mass selection window isdetermined from the mass of an expected modification, for example.

In various embodiments, the modified form is identified by finding amass corresponding to the one or more matching sample product ionsadjusted by the mass of a modification. The modification is a knownmodification, is caused by known reactions, or is suggested by otherexperiments, for example.

In various embodiments, the modified form is identified by finding amass characteristic of modified parts of the known compounds.

In various embodiments, the modified form is identified by findingcomplex composite spectra from conjoined molecules.

In various embodiments, processor 420 further extracts a spectrum of anidentified modified form from the electronic record in order tocharacterize a type and location of the modification in the identifiedmodified form.

In various forms, processor 420 further uses the predetermined productions and the modification to predict masses that would indicate the siteof the modification and generates a score for each said mass todetermine the location of the modification.

Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method

FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart showing a method 500 for storing anelectronic record of all product ion spectra of all detectable compoundsof a sample, in accordance with various embodiments.

In step 510 of method 500, a plurality of product ion scans areperformed on a tandem mass spectrometer one or more times in a singlesample analysis across a mass range using a plurality of mass selectionwindows. All sample product ion spectra of all detectable compounds foreach mass selection window are produced.

In step 520, all sample product ion spectra for each mass selectionwindow are received from the tandem mass spectrometer using a processor.

In step 530, all sample product ion spectra for each mass selectionwindow are stored as an electronic record of all detectable compounds ofthe sample using the processor. The electronic record is used tocharacterize compounds known at the time the electronic record is storedor to characterize compounds that became known after the electronicrecord was stored.

Tandem Mass Spectrometry Computer Program Product

In various embodiments, a computer program product includes a tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium whose contents include a program withinstructions being executed on a processor so as to perform a method forstoring an electronic record of all product ion spectra of alldetectable compounds of a sample. This method is performed by a systemthat includes one or more distinct software modules.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system 600 that includes one or moredistinct software modules that performs a method for storing anelectronic record of all product ion spectra of all detectable compoundsof a sample, in accordance with various embodiments. System 600 includesa measurement module 610 and a storage module 620.

Measurement module 610 receives from a tandem mass spectrometer allsample product ion spectra of all detectable compounds for each massselection window of a mass range. The tandem mass spectrometer producesthe sample product ion spectra by performing a plurality of product ionscans one or more times in a single sample analysis across the massrange using a plurality of mass selection windows.

Storage module 620 stores all sample product ion spectra for each massselection window as an electronic record of all detectable compounds ofthe sample. The electronic record is used to characterize compoundsknown at the time the electronic record is stored or to characterizecompounds that became known after the electronic record was stored.

While the present teachings are described in conjunction with variousembodiments, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited tosuch embodiments. On the contrary, the present teachings encompassvarious alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will beappreciated by those of skill in the art.

Further, in describing various embodiments, the specification may havepresented a method and/or process as a particular sequence of steps.However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on theparticular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process shouldnot be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps maybe possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth inthe specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims.In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process should notbe limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, andone skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may bevaried and still remain within the spirit and scope of the variousembodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for detecting compounds in a sampleusing a tandem mass spectrometer, comprising: (a) introducing into atandem mass spectrometer a sample comprising a plurality of detectablecompounds that have been separated in time over a time interval; (b)obtaining a sample product ion spectra by: (1) selecting precursor ionsfor transmittal using a plurality of precursor ion mass selectionwindows for each time step of a plurality of time steps of the timeinterval; and (2) performing at each time step for each precursor ionmass selection window a plurality of product ion scans to generate thesample product ion spectra; (c) determining the presence of one or moreknown compounds of interest in the sample product ion spectra by: (1)comparing the sample product ion spectra corresponding to a specificprecursor ion mass selection window expected to contain a precursor ioncorresponding to the known product ion spectra to a known product ionspectra for the precursor ion; and (2) calculating a score thatrepresents how well known product ions of the known product ion spectraand sample product ions of the sample product ion spectra match, and (d)identifying a compound as present in the sample the score associatedwith said compound meets a threshold value set as indicative of thelikely presence of the compound in the sample.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the mass selection window has a width greater than about 10 amu.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the known compounds comprise one ormore of peptides, proteins, complete proteomes, endogenous metabolites,lipids, carbohydrates, or combinations thereof.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein the known compounds comprise one or more compounds ofpharmaceutical, environmental, forensic, or industrial importance. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the known product ion spectra aredetermined from authentic standards of the known compounds, from ananalysis of samples containing the compounds, from existing spectrallibraries, or computationally generated by applying empirical or apriori fragmentation or modification rules to the known compounds. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein a sample product ion with a score thatmeets a threshold value set as indicative of the likely presence of thecompound in the sample is considered a matching sample product ion andusing one or more matching sample product ions to identify a modifiedform of one or more compounds of the known compounds.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, further comprising comparing the matching sample ions to massespredicted from known product ions and a modification to characterize atype and location of the modification.
 8. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising extracting a spectrum of the identified modified form fromthe sample product ion spectra in order to characterize a type andlocation of the modification in the identified modified form.